To bag liner or not?

[Lorethian]

I am thinking about getting a bag liner to sleep in under my NS quilt. My goal here is to reduce the oil and dirt that goes from me to the quilt. I would like to hear your thoughts. Should I use a bag liner, a base layer that I only wear to bed, or is there a better way to do this? What do you all use?

[Schneiderlein]

Bag liner or spare clothes just for sleeping are extra weight, and after a few days out everything picks up the smell regardless. I would just wash the quilt every once in a while.

[Spock]

Ditto Schneiderlein.
1. A quilt stays cleaner than a bag.
2. Sleep clothing - the long tops and bottoms and sleep socks everyone should carry for emergencies in all but the most benign climate - is easily washed and works better than any liner. RE: sleep/emergency clothing -- whatever is comfortable, either merino wool or synthetic.
3. Unless you have outstandingly poor personal hygeine, the bag should not need washing, just a surface wipe-off with an alcohol-dampened cloth. Experienced bags start to smell like a warm puppy -- comforting.

[FanaticFringer]

Clean sleep clothing, clean hands, gloves, etc. keeps the oil/dirt off my quilts

[slowhike]

Experienced bags start to smell like a warm puppy -- comforting.

I like that one

[Ramblinrev]

unless you sweat too much from using them when it is too hot. they they smell like a wet dog.

[Rockdawg69]

Okay. I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. Back in the day when I was a young 12-year old Scout, about 1958, all I had was an old, hand-me-down Army bag, canvas exterior and probably cotton batting for a filler. Anything I could put on me while I was sleeping was a plus in Jan thru Mar. Worrying about dirt and oil was not an issue if you wanted to stay warm in those days. What the heck was a liner??????
Skip ahead to todays' modern equipment. I have had about 3 or 4 bags over the last 15 years. Now I carry a light weight cotton mummy liner for my bag and/or down quilt. It serves 3 purposes: 1) it keeps the bag somewhat cleaner than not having one; 2) it adds about 4 to 5 degrees more comfort to the bag/quilt rating, plus it takes away those cold edges of the synthetics inside the bag; and 3) I can use it separately when the bag or down quilt is too much for the conditions. Total weight -about 6 ozs. I think I can carry that for the extra options it gives me. A strong second to the note above that says use clean clothes for bed. Hang those stinky day clothes outside.
One last thing I have noticed through about 50 years of camping. The more clothes you have on inside a modern bag, the less the bag contributes to your warmth, i.e. you are to some extent insulating your body heat inside the clothing, which means less body heat reaches the insulation in the bag to be trapped and provide the warm barrier between you and the outside air. Too much clothing and you can sweat inside the clothes - not good.
As with all the different things one can do to be comfortable while camping, hiking, hanging, etc., everyone has to eventually find what works best for themselves. Adapt, overcome, move on!
Best of luck in your outdoor adventures.

[Just Jeff]

Extra weight, IMO. In cool weather, I sleep in silkweight or midweight long johns and usually dry socks. In warm weather, I just sleep in my hiking clothes most of the time...as discussed above. Mine has a good smell to it...not funky yet but I can tell it's been used. Comforting is a good way to put it. When it gets funky I'll just wash it.

[canalvoyageur]

Hope I am not going to get kicked of the site, as I have noticed that most of you guys are Hikers, I'm afraid my hiking days are over due to medical problems, Blocked arteries, and of course age, so I took to canoeing, which with hindsight wished Id done years ago, any way back to subject matter, for bed attire I only use a set of clothing dependant on the weather, and wash after every outing, the clothing consists of track suit bottoms, tee shirt, socks, that's for summer, winter just as above but I use a fleece. Mind you here in the Uk we dont get the extremes as you guys.
I would just like to say how much I enjoy reading The reports and sort of envy you for the wilderness that you can enjoy.
would like to say I may meet some of you one day, but the likelihood of that is pretty remote, but Hey Never say Never. Happy Hammocking Bill

[Iafte]

If you said you didn't hammock and were against it, you might get kicked. But not due to not hiking. There are alot here that don't hike.